Salalah, Oman

May 5, 2008

After four days at sea we arrived at the desert port of Salalah, Oman. Beautiful and exotic, Salalah is rich in biblical history. The area in and around Salalah boasts the ruins of a palace believed to belong to the Queen of Sheba, the resting place of the prophet Job as well as the resting place of Nabi Imran, the father of the virgin Mary.

Getting to Oman was an adventure itself. The Indian Ocean has been ripe with modern-day pirates lately...yes! Pirates! These pirates apparently use numbers of fast speed boats and surround unsuspecting vessels, firing on them until they “surrender”, the pirates board and steal all the valuables on board and then hold the ship and it’s passengers for ransom. Sounds like a Hollywood movie doesn’t it? But apparently it is very real.

As we left Mombassa, we were escorted for the next three days by a Dutch Naval vessel equipped with huge guns armed and ready. This ship stayed within eyesight of our ship day and night. In addition, our ship closed all draperies, turned off all deck lights....flooded the ocean level with tons of light, posted 24 guards on all decks and instructed us to stay inside for most of the time. They meant business. The captain further explained that our ship had special sound transmitters mounted just under the bridge extensions that, if necessary, could send pinpointed high frequency blasts strong enough to permanently damage anyone in ear-sight of that blast. He told us that should he have to use these that he would make an announcement and that we were to all go as far to the center of the ship as we could. So, I guess all this pirate stuff was really serious.

During the three days the Dutch Navy used the time to do practice maneuvers. For instance, one day there was a simulated medical emergency air-lift. The naval ship came close to our ship....it’s helicopter hovered above, cabled dropped “medical” assistance and then air-lifted our “emergency” off. Unfortunately I didn’t see any of this as I was in bed with my feet elevated and packed in ice!!! I can imagine how it must have been for on last year’s cruise we had an actual medical emergency and one of our fellow passengers had to be lifted off the ship some twelve hours off the coast of Australia. It was very exciting.

The Dutch also practiced an at sea re-fueling operation. One day they came very close to our ship...some 30 meters....sailed along side for a while. If they had indeed been re-fueling us, they would have been at 15 meters....very close!!! I did get a glimpse of that operation as my draperies were open and they were along side just outside my cabin. It was close...and exciting to see.

But since we have not been high-jacked or robbed I assume that all these precautions worked. The ship has now left us as we are traveling in the Red Sea. Apparently there is not the danger of the pirates in these waters...and, the captain explained, there are US and British ships all around!

My day in Oman was not what I had planned. Last year when I visited here I went deep into the “no-man’s” part of the desert and didn’t really get to see any of Salalah...so this year I decided to take an excursion exploring the city itself. Well I explored it...but not quiet like I had expected. No, I was “transported” by the local ship’s agent to a local private hospital for a special consultation with an orthopedist.

The ship’s doctor, an emergency room specialist and the team physician for the Jacksonville Jaguars, had determined that my left ankle was badly sprained and that my right one had a broken fibula, the small bone of the ankle. He told me that it was “fractured” and undisplaced.... not too serious, if painful!

For a second opinion, he emailed my X-ray to some specialist in Texas who responded that he thought I needed a screw in my right foot. UGH! So, instead of waiting until we arrived in Alexandria to have me see a specialist, the doctor on board decided to send me to someone in Oman.

I met with a doctor Gupta....a very nice Indian man who is indeed an orthopedic specialist. I was driven there by the ship’s agent, along with another passenger who had broken her finger on the same safari I was on.

We arrived at this hospital complex. The driver went to an office to pay for our visit ahead of time. Apparently, all Omanians have no medical expenses and therefore the office was not equipped to take our credit cards...the agent paid in cash and then posted the charges to our ship’s account. (As it turned out, the total bill was $175.00....$100. for the transportation and $75 for the doctor’s visit and drugs....a deal!)

It was funny....the orthopedic department shared offices with the psycho therapy department. The waiting room....rooms!...one for men and the other for women....were filled with young and old...some needing to see Dr. Gupta and others, I assume needing to see the shrink!

Of course, all the women that passed through were completely covered in black...most with veils completely covering their eyes. I was so interested in these robes. Although each was black...most had some “decoration”. The hems were scalloped...the veils had cut-outs in them....sequins abounded. One very fashionable woman had small rosettes of black veiling covering her veil...each was different....and each woman checked out the others as they passed by on the way to their waiting room.

Dr. Gupta was not able to read the CD X-ray that the ship had sent with me so he needed to make one of his own. Since we were in the orthopedic department one would think that they would have had an X-ray machine there....wrong!.....we had to get back in the car and drive across the campus to get to the machine. Sounds easy....but I can hardly walk....hobble on the crutches to get in and out of the wheel chair...there were no ramps...high curbs....and it was 120°s in the shade! Phew....wore me out!

Once X-rayed and back in the car and back in Dr. Gupta’s office he agreed with the ship’s doctor’s notes....but he decided that I should be in a cast...saying that I would heal better and quicker.

So, soon, I was whisked off to a large room with numerous smaller curtained cubicles surrounding it. The room was buzzing with various people, young and old...all waiting for casts. Soon I was in a room, along side another young man getting a full leg cast.

A young woman draped in all white...her face exposed to reveal a major uni-brow!....she quickly and efficiently wrapped my leg in a very professional looking and very secure cast.

I must admit that I was dreading the cast thinking it would be uncomfortable and “itchy”. But so far, it has been a real relief. I am not as afraid to use the crutches and therefore am not as fearful that I will fall again.

I have had to be careful in showering. I have a large plastic bag that I tape very securely and then gingerly use my crutches to get in and out of the tub for a very quick but relaxing shower every morning....I certainly look forward to the day when I can lay back in a long hot and relaxing bath!

My left foot, the sprained one....is healing...slowly...but healing. The multi-colors have begun to fade and it is not as touchy as it has been. It still hurts more than the broken one but someone reminded me that most people use crutches with a sprained foot....and I am using the sprained one to maneuver in and out of my wheel chair.

My arms ache. I have muscles there that I didn’t know I had. The smallest ramp...and this ship is full of them!....is difficult. Luckily, most crew and passengers are very willing and ready to give me a push when I need it.

All have been wonderful to me...if something like this had to happen, I can’t think of a better place. I have room service whenever I need it...or I go to the buffet and one of the guys walks the line for me...or I go to the dining room.

My room is full of flowers from passengers and the various departments on the ship...including a big arrangement from the casino...wonder why????

So, this is a long-winded way to say that I am doing fine....and experiencing a new way of existence. I will continue on the cruise, but will leave directly from the ship to fly home in Lisbon instead of staying there for three or so days as I had originally planned. My doctor in Atlanta is already arranging for me to see someone there soon after I get home...and hopefully by then I will be well on the mend!

So that’s that....we arrive in Safaga, Egypt in a day or so. I am going to stay on board and continue to mend in hopes that when we get to Alexandria I will be able to go about my business. So, stay tuned!